This invention generally relates to door construction and more particularly to a raised panel door constructed from a conventional laminated door panel for use with kitchen and vanity cabinets and the like.
Laminated wood panels are widely used for full-sized doors, cabinet doors, wall panels and a variety of other uses in both residential and commercial construction. They are made using mass production techniques and are much less expensive than those made by traditional carpentry methods. Further, the panels are significantly lighter in weight than earlier doors and panels. Normally, the laminated panels have a core made of inexpensive wood, chipboard or particle board which may be solid or hollow. The hollow core has solid portions which form the edges of the door and extend through it at various points to provide adequate rigidity. The core is bonded between a pair of relatively thin veneer sheets which form the outer front and rear surfaces of the door and provide a finished appearance. Normally, the veneer sheets are made of wood or a plastic material such as that sold under the trademark "Formica".
One of the primary drawbacks of such door panels is their plain and inexpensive appearance. Generally, it is not possible to mill decorative patterns into the surface of the doors because such milling would expose the unfinished core material and would require additional expensive finishing treatments to produce a satisfactory product. Attempts have also been made to give the panels a raised appearance by simply gluing moldings and other decorative pieces to the surface of the veneer, but the results have generally been unsatisfactory.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new, improved and inexpensive method to construct a raised panel door having an attractive and well made appearance from a conventional laminated door panel.
It is another object of this invention to provide a method for constructing a raised panel door from a conventional laminated door panel using simply shaped moldings, uncomplicated techniques and simple tools.
It is a further object of this invention to provide for a raised panel door having a core, a veneer facing, and inner and outer moldings, which provide a raised appearance and conceal all exposed portions of the core material.